Kratovo

Kratovo (Macedonian: Кратово) is a town of just under 7,000 residents in northeastern North Macedonia. It is on the western slopes of Mount Osogovo inside the crater of an extinguished volcano. In addition to its scenic location, it is best known for its medieval bridges and towers.

Understand
By Macedonian standards, Kratovo is not a major destination for tourists. By European standards, Kratovo is as far off the beaten path as you can get. But rest assured, if you venture out to this corner of the Balkans, you will find more history and character packed into Kratovo than other towns many times its size.

History
Some archaeological excavations suggest the Kratovo area was settled in Roman times or earlier, but it did not achieve great importance until it fell under the Kingdom of Serbia in the late 13th century when gold, copper, lead, silver, and iron were mined in and around Kratovo. Coins were also minted in the town during Serbian rule.

In 1390, Kratovo was taken over by the Ottomans. It would remain within the Ottoman Empire for the following five centuries. By the 16th century, it was among the most important mining centers of the Ottoman Europe. It was home to many wealthy and educated men. The mint of Kratovo, opened in the end of the 15th century, became the second-largest producer of coins in the empire. Some of these coins are on display at the Museum of Archaeology in Skopje.

The mint of Kratovo ceased operations around 1660. Seven mines, however, were still active in the town and its vicinity until the Hapsburg forces, after temporarily taking the town, retreated and burned it down. Mining activity in the region then shifted to Probištip and Zletovo. It only recovered within Kratovo around the early 1800s, though on a smaller scale. Its population was around 5,000 to 6,000. After the mines finally shut down for good in 1882, the population fell to 4,500, half of which were Turks. After Kratovo was taken by the Serbian army in 1912, much of the Turkish population left, leaving the town with under 2,000 inhabitants.

Now part of North Macedonia, Kratovo has about 6,900 residents and is the seat of the municipality of the same name which includes 30 surrounding villages. Virtually all of the residents of the municipality are ethnic Macedonians and Macedonian Orthodox Christians.

By taxi
A taxi from Kumanovo should cost no more than 1,500 denars, while a ride from Skopje shouldn't cost much more than. Make sure to agree on the price before getting into the cab.

Get around
Everything in the town of Kratovo is walkable and it happens to be the best way to see the town. Be prepared for some uphill and downhill walking on Kratovo's interesting terrain. If driving, parking can be a bit of a struggle in Kratovo's narrow streets.

Bridges
Bridges have connected the town across the Kratovo River and its tributaries for centuries. Five of the medieval stone bridges remain.

Towers
Kratovo once had 12 towers, five on the right side of the river and seven on the left. Today, six remain including Hadži Kostov Tower and the five below. Of these, the Clock Tower is the easiest to access as it houses exhibits of the Kratovo City Museum.

Neighboring villages
Kratovo Municipality contains several historic villages. Important sites within Kratovo Municipality:

Go next

 * Probištip is just south of Kratovo, home to Lesnovo Monastery in a neighboring village
 * Kumanovo is North Macedonia's third-largest city, home to some important churches in its surroundings as well as the prehistoric megalithic observatory Kokino.
 * Kriva Palanka is a small town in the country's northeast corner, near the Bulgarian border.